Football: Ardiles in search of support

OSVALDO ARDILES, the new manager of Tottenham Hotspur, set about tackling the problems facing him at Spurs last night when he met with Neil Ruddock. Of the Spurs players, Ruddock has been been one of the strongest supporters of Terry Venables, the ousted chief executive, and has put in a transfer request, writes Owen Slot.

Initial signs, however, suggest that player power is already losing its potential as an influence in the club's internal struggle. Gary Mabbutt, the captain, has backed the new set-up. Nick Barmby, the other player to put in a transfer request, is on holiday but his father said yesterday: 'He will just go back and do his best.' Teddy Sheringham said yesterday: 'I'll go back for pre-season training and take it as it comes. I would be prepared to play under someone like Ossie.'

Meanwhile, there looms the possibility of another court case for Spurs over the taking of Ardiles from West Bromwich Albion. Ardiles did not have a contract but Trevor Summers, the West Bromwich chairman, says that he and Ardiles had a verbal agreement. 'Ours was a handshake deal and his acceptance is recorded in the Board minutes,' Summers said.

Sugar, speaking on television on Breakfast with Frost, said: 'I find this quite amazing. I've never known anything like it in my life, being surrounded by so much litigation . . . Our vice-chairman Tony Berry handled it (the appointment). He just got his orders from the lawyers, they told him how to go about it and from what I understand he has done that.'

Venables was also talking litigation on television yesterday. He will persevere with the legal case to force Sugar to sell his majority shareholding, he told Grandstand. 'Half of me says I don't really need this and I should treat the man with contempt, but on the other hand I think I've got right on my side.' And Ardiles? 'I wish him well. If I win the case, we might end up working together.'

Keith Burkinshaw, the new West Bromwich Albion manager, has made Dennis Mortimer, the club's youth coach and former Aston Villa captain, his assistant.